Specialization in Fictional Character Design and Illustration

Influences | Tania Yakunova

In this lesson, I will show you some of the main influences that have impacted my work and shaped me as an artist.

Influences | Joel Santana

In this video, I’ll share with you some of my favorite artistic heroes. I’ll talk a bit about how each one of them has influenced my work as well as other ways I find inspiration.

Influences | Nicholas Kole

In this lesson, I'll discuss a few of the artists whose work has had the biggest impact on the way I draw, paint, and think about design! We'll take a look at some specific pieces of theirs that demonstrate mastery of the design principles we'll cover in this course, and break down how they work.

Module 2

Get ready to dive into the world of bold shapes, expressive faces, and unforgettable personalities. With Jackie Droujko as your guide, you'll explore how to craft stylized characters that feel alive—from the first sketch to the final detail. Along the way, you'll gain insider tips from her experience at top studios like Netflix and DreamWorks, and sharpen your storytelling through design.

15 lessons (3h 7m)

Working with Lines

Let's start by talking about the practical application of straights vs curves, the line of action, and avoiding parallel lines and tangents and why they're so important.

Using Shapes to Your Advantage

Next, you'll learn about contrasting shapes, silhouettes and negative space. If there’s one thing you take away from this course, let it be this: CONTRAST = INTEREST.

Volumes and Proportion

You never want your drawing to feel flat and lifeless. That’s why you’ll learn about the importance of volumes and how to create the illusion of volume on flat paper. I’ll also talk about proportion and scale.

Simplifying for Storytelling

Now that you learned all the fundamentals, you have to learn how to strip the design down to its simplest form to convey the story you’re trying to tell, especially when creating for animation.

Gathering References

Don’t shy away from references! You can’t know everything in the world, so I always use references for my character designs. Let’s explore how to use references properly.

Sketching the Skater

Time to create the characters. I'll show you how to start with loose sketches while creating contrast and variety in all the designs.

Colour can make a difference in all your artwork. Let me teach you how to colour the sketches while staying true to the mood board. The colours will be intentional and backed by colour theory.

Colouring

It's time to take a few sketches one step further by rendering them where you can imagine this character moving on a screen.

Rendering 1

19m

Rendering 2

I will continue showing you my best tips and tricks for rendering the characters. Here you'll be able to see them closer and finished.

To begin with, I'll teach you how to work with personality exploration. In this step, showcasing the character’s unique personality is essential by intentionally exploring their expressions, posing and costuming.

Character Exploration 1

During this second part of the lesson, I will continue showing you how to use poses, expressions, and even clothes to give a character personality.

Character Exploration 2

Let’s choose an ideal composition using one pose idea we created and explore a few colour and lighting scenarios using references.

Setting up the Scene

13m

Polishing the Character 1

Now it’s time to start rendering the character keeping the fundamentals in mind.

Polishing the Character 2

Here I will continue showing you how to add polishing the character to keep it sketchy and loose.

Lighting and Final Touches

At this stage, the character is looking good! Now it's time to add some lighting using reference and any final touches that’ll improve the character’s design and personality.

Module 3

Step into the whimsical world of animal characters with Félicie Haymoz, whose designs have brought life to films like [i]Fantastic Mr. Fox[/i]. Through watercolor and digital techniques, you'll uncover how to blend animal anatomy with human traits, craft distinct costumes, and bring charm and depth to every creature you create. Let your imagination run wild!

15 lessons (2h 48m)

Materials and Opening Your Imagination

In this lesson, I will go over the materials that are needed for painting in watercolor as well as the tricks our mind plays when drawing and/or looking at an image.

Basic Animal Structure and Principles of Anatomy

I want to provide you with a general understanding of anatomy so you can apply those principles to your designs.

From Realism to a Fun Little Character: Jump in the Pool!

Using reference pictures, we learn how to observe, the trial and error process. I am going to show you how I draw an animal of my choice with watercolor.

18m

Famous Anthropomorphic Animals

Here are a few examples of anthropomorphic animals I love, from Aesop’s fables to Zootopia. What makes them so appealing? What is the symbolic meaning of a specific animal? Let’s look at different levels of humanization.

Let's go on the hunt and learn to see the animal hidden in people! This is more like taking notes and getting inspired.

The Human Safari

This is all about finding inspiration and answering the following: how to pick the character you will draw? Also, I will show you how to beat your procrastination and make decisions. I write a description of my character.

The Brief

Costume and Colors

Both colors and costumes tell a story. Let's see how to apply them to make the character unique.

Drawing the Face: from Realistic to Adding Personality

In this lesson, we will be drawing the face from references to then add personality and character to the face - eyebrows, eyes, and take a look at how to find the right balance between animal and human.

Creating the Body and Posing

Using the costume references I found for the character, I try to come up with three different ideas of costumes and posing. I draw each idea, trying to keep it a loose drawing, this is about ideas! I try to make each pose more expressive by thinking about the directions of the lines in the drawing.

Getting the Final Drawing

This is the stage in which we will smooth out any imperfections or mistakes. I will also add the final details and decide what my final drawing should be.

Cleaning up and Blocking the Colors 1

Let's take matters to Photoshop to clean up and check the proportions of your character.

Cleaning Up and Blocking the Colors 2

This is the phase in which I am going to decide on what the color palette is going to be for this character. I will use a reference image that I collected while gathering references. The colors in the reference images have to really speak to you, so you can transfer that mood to the character you are creating.

Now it is time to add light and to refine and add further nuances.

Adding Shadow and Light

Let's now add textures and a pattern to the clothes. At this stage, we should verify as well if the general atmosphere is right.

Adding Final Touches 1

Going back to the brief, we are going to put our character in context.

Adding Final Touches 2

Shapes, Emotions, and Synesthesia

Module 4

Unlock the power of expression with Tania Yakunova, whose bold, character-driven illustrations have captivated audiences worldwide. You'll explore how simple shapes, scale, and movement can turn human figures into vibrant personalities. With playful exercises and a fresh take on anatomy, discover how to infuse your drawings with emotion and charm that truly connect with viewers.

13 lessons (2h 27m)

In this lesson, I will tell you about the project we're going to work on in this course. Then, I'll share my vision of character design and explain how shapes and forms can help us feel and understand the emotions represented in a drawing.

Shapes and Personalities 1

I will now show you some super fun exercises and experiments that will help you to easily sketch interesting characters. First, however, I will explain which are the tools that I use for sketching, depending on what I'm working on. The first exercise that we'll do is one that forces you to challenge the rules of anatomy.

Shapes and Personalities 2

Here I'll show you two more exercises. In the first one, you'll learn how to create a character based on an abstract artwork. Then, you'll see how you can insert characters within defined and restricted shapes.

13m

Dynamics and Movement

One way of creating convincing characters is to represent them in movement. Here, I'll show you two exercises that will help you understand this notion and implement it in your own work.

A Diversity of Characters: Bodies and Scales

In this lesson, I will teach you how to use different body shapes to create a diverse and interesting crowd.

The Choice of Colors

Now we will talk about colors and I’ll share a very handy theory that changed my process of coloring and taught me how to use colors in a more conscious way.

Research and Sketching

I'll start by showing you how I search for inspiration for my characters in the street and sketch different ideas.

Composition, Rhythm, and Dynamics

Now I will work on a composition for my illustration, choosing and combining characters that I have drawn in my sketchbook. As I do this, I'll explain how I approach and develop a composition, through rhythm and dynamic movement.

Lettering and Fine-Tuning

I sometimes like to add some text to my illustration. In this case, I'd like to include the name of the city. You'll see how I work on hand lettering as just another element of drawing, merging it with the composition. Once that is done, I'll import my sketch onto Procreate and fine-tune the details in order to get a refined sketch.

Tracing and Coloring in Adobe Illustrator 1

In this lesson, I will show you how I trace and color my illustration in Adobe Illustrator. For tracing, I'll use the “Pen Tool”, adapting and improving the original sketch as I see fit. Then, I'll create my palette of complementary colors.

15m

Tracing and Coloring in Adobe Illustrator 2

Now that I have my palette, I'll start coloring the illustration and creating different variants so I can later choose the one I like best. Before moving on, I'll show you how to check that your illustration has enough contrast and that your shapes and lines are neatly defined.

Texturing in Adobe Photoshop

In this lesson, I will import my vector illustration into Adobe Photoshop and show you how to add textures, shadows, and other nice details to create greater depth.

We've reached the last step of the illustration process. I will check a few details and make some final adjustments such as cropping and color grading. Finally, I will explain how you can export your image so it is ready to share with others and online.

Final Touches and Export

Module 5

Discover how to turn a simple sketch into a vibrant, lifelike character with the guidance of Joel Santana. Known for his striking digital paintings, Joel shares his full process—from scanned linework to polished illustration—using the power of Adobe Photoshop. Learn how color, light, and texture can transform your drawings into dynamic characters ready for print or screen.

15 lessons (2h 38m)

Our Workspace and Brushes

In this lesson, let's go over some tips for setting up our workspace and tools so that we can have everything ready for digital painting. Let's get started.

Sphere Studies - Color, Light and Shadows

In this lesson, we’re going to start our sphere studies. We’ll talk about how helpful this exercise is and we will begin with color, light, and shadows.

Sphere Studies - Modifications

In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to take the spheres we painted in the previous lesson and add some modifications.

Sphere Studies - Textures and Blur

In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to take the spheres we painted in the previous lesson and apply textures and subtle blur effects to add even more dimension.

15m

Creating a Moodboard and Importing Our Character Sketch

In this lesson, I’ll go over how I typically scan or import my character sketch. I’ll also explain what a moodboard is and the benefits of having one in your creative process.

Masking Our Character

In this lesson let’s talk about masking the character sketch. We’ll discuss the importance of this phase and go over a couple ways to go about doing it.

Flatting Our Character

In this lesson let’s talk about something called flatting. We’ll start to choose our local colors and I’ll explain what those are as well as our decisions for our color choices.

Defining Placement of Keylight

This lesson will cover lighting. There are many ways to introduce lighting to your character but in this course, we will make that call early on in the process.

Values and Color - White Fur

In this lesson, we’re going to start painting in our values and we’ll start with the white fur section of the face and body. Values are the lightness or darkness of a color and this is what starts to add form, dimension, and contrast.

Values and Color - The Gun

In this lesson we’re going to start bringing in some value and form to the gun. We’ll continue to learn how to make intelligent guesses on where our light should land.

Values and Color - Refining the Fur

In this lesson, we’re going to start painting texture by using simple brush techniques and pushing our light and dark areas.

Refining Lights, Shadows and Textures - Gauntlets

In this video, we’re going to use a photographic texture for the gauntlets and add some rust effects here as well.

Finalizing the Image - Final Details, Glow and Blur

Focusing on details, for example, glow and blur make the difference. Let's work on those details together.

Finalizing the Image - Highlights and Shadows

As we get close to finishing our image this is the point we’re we push our highlights and shadows to really make the image come alive.

Finalizing the Image - color editing and export

Final color adjustments for the image. We’ll take a look at “color lookup” and a few other finishing touches. Also exporting options process. We’re going to talk about converting to CMYK if we want to print posters and also talk about saving for web if we want to post on instagram or our portfolio sites.

Great designs emerge from asking great questions. If you start the process with your minds engaged, looking for great ideas that are more than visual, you're much more likely to arrive at designs you're proud of! In this lesson, we'll explore a few of the ways you can set yourself up for success before the drawing process even begins.

Module 6

What if your imagination could shape an entire character—down to their story, silhouette, and soul? That’s exactly what Nicholas Kole helps you unlock using Procreate. Drawing from his work on beloved franchises like Sonic and Spyro, he shows you how to design fantasy characters from the ground up, turning raw ideas into fully realized, unforgettable figures.

19 lessons (4h 54m)

Asking a Question

How do you come up with an idea that excites you? I've found that one of the greatest tools for character design is a mind map composed of words, loose sketches, and ideas that form a full toolbox of useful thinking to return to when I get stuck. In this lesson, I'll help you to map out your stream-of-consciousness to help drive design.

Making a Mind Map

Another great tool in the character designer's toolbelt is a great mood board! The research phase is an important way to push yourself out of your comfort zone and bring fresh, grounded ideas into your design work. In this lesson, I'll discuss some best practices for putting together a useful collection of references.

Creating a Mood Board

If you can communicate your ideas clearly in the thumbnail stage, in a sloppy tiny sketch, you'll be on track to create a great character design! The blank page can be intimidating, so in this lesson, we'll discuss some exercises and ways of thinking that I've found helpful in overcoming that anxiety. By the end, we'll have a set of thumbnail sketches we can improve on as we go.

Thumbnailing 1

19m

Thumbnailing 2

I will now walk you through some of the sketches I made earlier to show you the different ways you can experiment with the character's poses and core elements.

Flow and Line of Action

One of the trickiest topics to cover in character design is the flow of shapes to create a pleasing finished piece. In this lesson, I'll unpack the invisible lines of force that work under the surface of a drawing to create that feeling of flow and how to make them work for you.

19m

Barcodes and Ladders

Another great way to bring more dynamism to design work is to look at your sketches through the lens of patterns. Strong designs often have a pleasing mix of shapes of various sizes in a rhythm similar to the irregular pattern of a barcode, instead of the predictable sameness of a ladder. In this lesson, we'll explore what that means and how to see it in your own work.

We're almost ready for color! But in order to set yourself up for success, you will need to tighten the sketch to clarify all your design decisions, even about the little things. Every small element in any design is an opportunity to ask yourself: Could this little piece be more specific and better serve to tell the story of the character in the world they inhabit? In this lesson, we'll answer those questions and prepare for color.

Tightening the Sketch 1

In the second part of this lesson, I will continue tightening the details of my sketch, homing in on her clogs, cape, buttons, and more. The aim is to produce line art that is close to the final vision, but this doesn't have to be perfect!

Tightening the Sketch 2

I will now tackle the props! Once I've established the skeleton form of the staff, I will embellish the details and refine the shape. By the end, I will have a finished line drawing that is ready for the color stage!

Tightening the Sketch 3

The technique I use to build the colors of a design involves the use of layer Masking. Since this can be tricky and take some strategic thinking. In this lesson, I will walk you through the basics of masking and demonstrate how I begin laying in color.

Masking 1

Now that I have the overall silhouette ready, with the bigger shapes blocked and separated into separate layers, I will work to define the more precise forms.

Masking 2

13m

Color Strategy and Harmony 1

Not only is color beautiful, but it's also useful! In this lesson, I'll talk about how the various principles of contrast (value, saturation, complementary contrast, and temperature) can be applied to guide the eye through your design.

18m

Color Strategy and Harmony 2

As it stands, my piece is not yet driving the emphasis in the way that I intended. The colors are all over the place and need to be unified. To address this, I will select the core aspect of my character that I'd like all the other elements to revolve around, and adjust the colors accordingly.

15m

Hard and Soft Shadows 1

One of my favorite parts of the whole process is painting the shadows. In this lesson, we'll begin rendering and explore the differences between types of shadow, and how they can be used to create the illusion of light and volume.

Let's briefly turn our attention toward theory! I will outline the difference between form shadow and cast shadow, and show you how to put this into practice by applying the said rules to my character.

Hard and Soft Shadows 2

One subtle element that can help bring a design to life is ambient occlusion. This lesson will demonstrate how I use the deepest darks of shadow to create a dimensional feel in the finished piece.

Ambient Occlusion

With the color laid in and the shadows painted, we're almost finished! In this lesson, I'll show you some of the little tips and tricks I use to make the end result lively and clear.

Finishing Touches 1

Tinting the shadow colors, adding a touch of rim lighting and those final layers of polish can bring out the elements that may have gotten lost. It's time to give your design an eye-catching flourish!

Finishing Touches 2